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NSC Issues Holiday Driving Fatality Estimates

As travel increases at the holidays, so too does the incidence of high-risk behaviors, such as drunk driving. The National Safety Council (NSC) recently issued estimates of year-end holiday road deaths, projecting that 445 motor-vehicle fatalities will occur during the New Year holiday weekend, from 6 p.m. on Dec. 31 until midnight on Jan. 4.

NSC also estimated that 432 motor-vehicle fatalities would occur during the Christmas holiday period from 6 p.m., Dec. 24 until midnight, Dec. 28.

These estimates coincide with a 2008 traffic fatality rate that, through October, has the United States on track to achieve its lowest annual rate of traffic deaths ever recorded and the first time the number of crash-related deaths has dipped below 40,000 since 1961, according to NSC data.

“There is an especially good reason to drive defensively this holiday season, as our nation is on the verge of making traffic safety history,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of NSC. “Yet we know the holidays bring increased incidence of drunk driving and often other safety risks, such as those posed by winter weather or drowsy driving.”

Staying Safe

Factors that help keep people safer on the roads include improved safety features in vehicles and greater visibility and enforcement of important traffic safety laws, including those related to seat belts, child passengers, impaired driving and teen driving.

“The Council urges everyone on the road this holiday to wear a seat belt,” Froetscher said. “Seat belts are the single best defense against drunk drivers and the most effective way to protect passengers and reduce fatalities in crashes. And please, if you plan to drink at a holiday party, don’t drive. Alcohol impairment is a factor in 32 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities.”

In addition to the human loss, motor-vehicle crashes also present a significant national expenditure in lost wages and productivity, medical expenses, administrative expenses, employer costs and property damage. The estimated cost of motor-vehicle deaths, injuries and property damage was $257.7 billion in 2007.